Chronicle of the Urban Revolution taking place in and around Calgary's East Village neighbourhood.

Monday, October 29, 2012

New Central Library at the East Village

A speculated plan of the New Central Library

It's no longer news that the East Village will be the home of the new Central Library. Speculations have been made regarding the appearance and functions of the new library, but the truth of the matter is - nobody knows. Not yet. Here is what is known so far;

Location - East Village,
across from City Hall

Location; the new Central Library will stand directly across from City Hall on 3rd Street, SE, Block 127, East Village.Funding; though cost cannot be determined until the final stages has been decided upon, funding is no secret. City Council already approved $40M contribution, while Community Investment Fund will provide $135M - all leading to a financial commitment of $175M from the City. There is an obligation to form a distinct design which will be visionary, achievable, realistic and affordable.Timeline; planning is underway, however the "Functional Program", which will outline the instructions for the future architect, will be presented to City Council in early 2013. Needless to say that until plans have been approved, no construction start-date will be determined.

Calgary Public Library and the City of Calgary ensure that the public is not only aware of the planning process, but is an active participant with a valued input. This is being done by a two-phased approach;

# Phase One - "Think Big!" (Summer 2012) - was created to raise awareness to the new project and gather primary input regarding Calgarians' priorities. This phase is the foundations for the current phase 2.# Phase Two - "Dig Deep!" (Fall 2012) - is made out of Engagement Sessions around the City, where the public actively participates by sharing ideas, views and desires as to what the new library should be like. These sessions include four themes:

Awesome Spaces and Virtual Places - asking CPL users what spaces they'd like to see within the library and how they'd prefer to interact with the library in virtual places.

Diverse Collections and Inspiring Resources - listening to visitors' opinions about the collections of local libraries and about the staff supporting them in this technological, current era.

Powerhouse Programs and Signature Services - understanding what Calgarians are interested in, with regards to the programs and services the library offers.

The Role of the Library in Complete Communities - ensuring the library's contribution to the local community, as based on residents' investment in their society.

So why do we need a new Central Library? With the ever growing city and advancement in technology, the current 50-year-old Central Library is no longer able to support and serve the public as required. The new library will be able to serve the increasing number of people, as well as accommodate the digital, creative, virtual and collaborative future (which is already present).

CPL is desperately trying to find out all the public has to say about future libraries.

Visitors can say what they want to
have while an artist draws their ideas

Library representative interviews participants with regards to
how they imagine their library to be

CPL employees wish to improve public experience by
understanding what each customer has to say

Challenge the mind; attempting to
understand what all levels of society
would want to have in the new library

Ensure you are involved, and encourage friends, by going to the official website and by participating in upcoming sessions. Make your library how you want it to be.